The DIY Part of #HoundsAndHolidays

I am a crafter of all the things. Ask the husband, he can attest to the fact that there are crafting supplies squirreled in all nooks throughout our home. Glitter, yarn, felt, ribbon, you name it, I’ve got it.

I am also an avid reader and writer, which you can probably tell from my posts. It’s genetic, as my father was a high school English teacher for close to 40 years (he’s now retired and causing trouble in town) and my mother was a reading consultant for decades. While I have not written my own book yet, it’s on the horizon.

It’s in this light and my love of all things crafting and book related, that I’m thrilled to share some insight on a collection of goodies you could WIN as a part of our Holidays, Hounds and Hot Buys Holiday Gift Guide and Giveaway. As you might remember, we have lovingly assembled goodies into different themes. One of those themes is “Not Quite DIY,” meaning that some of the items are handmade, others are written, and other items are just fun to include because we can. Let’s take a look at some of the items you’ll be winning in further detail!

I’m leaving the “Not Quite” part of the gift coverage to be written by our dear friend, Denise of Denise’s Dog Dish. She just so happens to be one of the published authors who has generously provided one of her books for the prize package. She recently drafted an overview of the entire prize contents that you can locate here.

Fuzzy Felties

What’s that, you’ve never heard of needle felting?! I hadn’t either until not too long ago when I gave this amazing craft an attempt. Let me explain how it works.

Do you remember that wool sweater you once loved, but spilled something on and had to toss in the wash? Do you recall accidentally washing the sweater with hot water or throwing it in the dryer, only to find that it had shrunk to a miniature version of your previously loved sweater? That, my friends, is an example of wet felting, although it was unintentional.

Needle felting is the same concept. You start with floofy wool fiber (called roving), and instead of spinning it into yarn, a special needle can help the fiber to bunch up into dense shapes that can be manipulated however you choose. It’s like sculpture, without getting your hands dirty. Fair warning, the needles are SHARP and if you accidentally prick your finger, then you will actually get your hands dirty and might wind up bleeding on your project. Not that I’ve EVER had that happen to me…

Here’s an example of something I’ve needle felted. It’s a pie. No, you cannot eat it. Well, I guess you could, but it wouldn’t be yummy.

I had plans on showing a video that’s sped up to illustrate the process, but I couldn’t figure out way to arrange the camera in a way that would show how the felting occurred. I’ll keep brainstorming and might add a video later on.

In the meantime, let’s talk about Fuzzy Felties. They are all things needed to be considered adorable. They are tiny. They are replicas of your beloved pet. They are made out of wool fiber. In other words, they are adorable.

The creator of these little critters Le L has an etsy store where she takes custom orders. I’m pleased to say she has been very popular, because, how could you resist. That does mean that your order might take a bit to be created but it will be worth it, I swear.

In case you’re wondering, our tiny version of Bean will be joining us when we travel to dog friendly breweries for photos, in the event that we don’t see any dogs while we’re visiting. I need to come up with a clever hashtag for folks to be able to keep track of our adventures. If you think of one, I’d love to hear! We’ll shower you with praise.

Brooklyn BowTied

I have a weakness for accessories. Scarves, jewelry, sparkly things, and anything else you could think to include in that list. It should come as no surprise that my affection for accessorizing has trickled down to my dogs. If you scroll through some of our photos, you’ll notice Bean and Yoda donning hats, silly glasses, and bow ties. I love that the accessories can add pizzazz, color, personality, and humor to what would normally be a humdrum photo.

We were thrilled when we discovered that one of the fellow bloggers hosting this #HoundsAndHolidays Holiday Gift Guide and Giveaway also happens to be a skilled bow tie maker. Rochelle is from the magical land of Brooklyn so her shop is aptly named “Brooklyn BowTied.” You can find her creations on Etsy and you can see some pretty amazingly adorable pups modeling her creative masterpieces on instagram.

We have received our fair share of bow ties in the past. I’m sad to report that some have been poorly constructed and were quick to fall apart. The handiwork for Brooklyn Bowtied’s pieces are evident. They are well made and come in stylish and classy patterns that can be used for multiple holidays and seasons along with for boy or girl pups.

Here’s a rundown of some of the other “ingredients” for this particular Not Quite DIY Prize package. Again, for more details on other pieces, visit Denise’s Dog Dish.